Our invention relates generally to supporting devices for aiding the physically handicapped, elderly and childbearing women in arising from a sitting position in a conventional easy chair. Although our invention can be used with most any type of easy chair, it is primarily adapted for use with easy chairs having abbreviated or shortened armrests.
A substantial number of easy chairs, which are sold today, have relatively short armrests. As a result thereof, physically handicapped and elderly people, as well as childbearing women, are often put under considerable stress when seeking to arise from such chairs. Normally, when one arises from such a chair, they place their hands on the ends of the armrests and push downwardly in order to facilitate their movement to an erect position. Such easy chairs, with relatively short armrests, offer considerable difficulty because the center of gravity of the person's body is well ahead of his or her hands, with the result that there is considerable stress on the arms of the individual sitting in the chair.
We have found that the length of armrests generally fall within the range of 11 to 28 inches, and most armchairs today have a setback distance from the front of the seat cushion to the front of the armrest which ranges between 0 to 10 inches. On the average, the setback distance for armchairs today is approximately 4 to 5 inches.
The greater the setback distance is from the front of the seat cushion to the front of the armrests, the more difficult it is for such an encumbered individual to rise from the chair. To provide maximum support for such a person, it is important for the person's hands to bear against a surface which is positioned near or in front of the person's center of gravity as that person moves to an erect position. Since a person's center of gravity is generally positioned over their feet as they stand, it follows that the optimum position for such a bearing surface is near or slightly ahead of the front of the seat cushion of the chair, where the user's feet will be situated when arising from the chair. In view thereof, whenever the terms "abbreviated armrest" or "shortened armrest" are hereinafter used, it is intended to mean that such armrests terminate short of the front end of the seat cushion of the chair with which reference is being made.
With such chairs being prevalent in today's society, there has developed a distinct need for a means of aiding such encumbered individuals in arising therefrom, without destroying the aesthetic appeal which the furniture offers. As such, it is the primary object of our invention to provide an aesthetically appealing supporting device which is capable of surrounding an easy chair and providing adequate support for such an encumbered individual when arising therefrom. It is also the specific object of our invention to provide such a support which functions as a fulcrum disposed ahead of the user's body, such that the user may bear against, and pivot about, the fulcrum support as the center of gravity of his or her body moves during the act of rising from the chair.